Iran, Ghana ink 7 accords

23/05/08 Mehrn news Iran and Ghana have signed seven cooperation agreements in the fields of health, shipping, agriculture, oil, media, diplomacy, and customs.

In the closing ceremony of the third Iran-Ghana joint economic cooperation commission, Iran’s Agricultural Jihad Minister, Mohammadreza Eskandari, and Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Akwasi Asei-Adjei inked the accords.   Eskandari announced that his ministry chairs the joint economic cooperation commission with seven African countries, namely, Sudan, Senegal, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone, saying that the Ninth Government’s fundamental policy is the expansion of ties with African nations.   Expressing hope on implementation of the approvals of the commission in progress until the next joint commission, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Akwasi Asei-Adjei invited Iran’s agricultural jihad minister to attend the Fourth Iran-Ghana joint economic cooperation commission in 2010 which will be held in Ghana’s capital city, Accra.   In the opening ceremony of this commission, he stated, “Ghana is a perfect place for investment and can pose as a gateway for Iranian investment in West Africa.”    He noted that bilateral cooperation between the two countries is not currently at a satisfactory level and hoped that in the Tehran gathering both sides would forward constructive suggestions in order to improve this state.   Also attending the ceremony the chairman of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines (ICCIM) emphasized on the establishment of Iran’s trade center in Ghana, saying the center will facilitate the bilateral trade.   Mohammad Nahavandian announced that Ghana has great potentials that Iran could apply them.   He added that Ghana is a proper land for investment due to its appropriate geographical situation as well as its gold and bauxite rich mines.   This gathering was held from May 20 to May 23.   NK/MRK END MNA

Eritrean president urges more economic co-op with China

ASMARA, May 22

(Xinhua)

23/05/08

Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki on Thursday called for more economic and trade cooperation with China, saying that Eritrea “is determined to make this cooperation bigger and faster.”

    ”The level of cooperation is very limited, is very small, compared to our ambition to expand cooperation with China in all areas, like mining, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism,” Isayas said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua, on the eve of the 15th founding anniversary of the State of Eritrea.

    In terms of trade with China, “we would like for a bigger exchange,” he added.

    The direct trade volume between the two countries amounted to 29.17 million U.S. dollars last year. Last year, China’s imports from Eritrea stood at 2.52 million dollars while its exports to Eritrea reached 26.65 million dollars, according to statistics from the Chinese Embassy in Eritrea.

    ”There is no zero-sum arrangement in partnership,” said Isayas.

    ”We believe we can work together, we can take the risk together, we profit and benefit from our joint activities and that takes us to a higher level of cooperation, that is what we are doing, what we have been doing.

    ”And we are determined to make it bigger and faster,” he added.

    ”We would like to see the possibility of expanding our partnership in long-term projects.”

    Isayas said the two countries could cooperate in all areas of mining, not only in gold, but also in other minerals.

    ”Mining in all areas is not only gold, I may not talk now about gas and petroleum or whatever, but that as another potential, we have outside gold other minerals we need to exploit,” he said.

    ”We like to see China as a partner in this area, and other partners definitely are welcomed, but we like to see an expansion in this relationship.”

    Eritrea also wants to develop cooperation with China in manufacturing, he said.

    ”China has advanced a lot in manufacturing, China is supplying the world market with quality goods,” he said.

    ”We have other minor areas of construction projects, like roads, harbors, airports, houses, water supply projects,” Isayas said.

    In areas of agriculture, he said Eritrea needs a lot of cooperation in terms of exchange of experts.

    ”We can do that in no time and I believe it’s a realistic approach, given the fact that China has emerged as a major economic power,” he said.

    ”We believe we can be a good hub among other hubs in the region for regional and global exchange or interaction in terms of trade. And we believe we can do that with China.”

    Isayas described Eritrea-China cooperation as a long term partnership.

    ”I think this is a long term partnership, it has to be sustainable,” he said.

    ”And to make it sustainable in partnership, one party may have an advantage in a number of areas and that those advantages should be used to enable the other party so that the combined resource and capability of both parties gives more value or adds value to the venture that can exist between the two parties.”

Somali Hijackers Free Jordanian Ship …

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)

23/05/08

Somali Hijackers Free Jordanian Ship – AgensAfter 17 years of civil conflict, pirates have turned Somalia`s waters into some of the mostdangerous in the world.

Somali pirates have released a Jordanian-flagged cargo ship hijacked last week off the lawless coast of the Horn of Africa nation, a shipping agent said on Friday. The “Victoria”, owned by a United Arab Emirates company, was carrying 4,200 tonnes of sugar in humanitarian aid sent from Denmark to the Somali capital Mogadishu.

“The ship has been released. All the pirates have left the ship, the crew is safe and healthy. The ship is sailing to Mogadishu to discharge its cargo,” the ship’s local agent Mohamed Ahmed Roble told Reuters.

After 17 years of civil conflict without effective central government, pirates have turned Somalia’s waters into some of the most dangerous in the world.

The Victoria’s crew of around 12 people included Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and Tanzanians.

Sudan says leading Darfur rebel captured

KHARTOUM (AFP) 

23/05/08 

The Sudanese authorities said on Thursday they had captured a top member of the Darfur rebel group that staged a daring attack on Khartoum this month in which more than 220 people were killed.

Special forces arrested Abdul Aziz Asher late on Wednesday in New Halfa, east of the capital and near the border with Eritrea, the state news agency SUNA reported, adding that he is undergoing interrogation by security agents.

SUNA described Asher as a commander in the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the half brother of its overall leader Khalil Ibrahim.

The news agency said that Asher took part in the May 10 attack on Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman after JEM forces made a lightning advance across hundreds of miles of desert from the western region of Darfur to the capital.

Members of JEM were not reachable for comment on Thursday.

The security services have been hunting rebel remnants in Omdurman since the May 10 attack, which marked the first time that decades of regional violence in Sudan reached the doorstep of the seat of government.

Sudan has offered a 250,000-dollar reward for information about Ibrahim’s whereabouts or his capture.

The US-based Human Rights Watch has since reported mass arrests of perceived rebel supporters and other political opponents, raising fears of mistreatment, citing unconfirmed reports of torture and at least two summary executions.

The United Nations says the death toll from five years of war, famine and disease in Darfur may be up to 300,000. Khartoum puts the toll at 9,000.

Germany pledges 750,000 Euro aid to Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia

By SUDAN TRIBUNE

23/05/08

The government of Germany on Monday pledged a total of 750,000 euro humanitarian aid for the thousands of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia.

According to a press released by Germany embassy in Addis, the pledge is in reaction to the united Nation higher Commissioner for refugees(UNHCR’s) appeal for more help to meet the increasing humanitarian aid needed for the non-stop influx of Eritrean refugees to Ethiopia.

Eritrea’s foe, Ethiopia, currently hosts some 25 thousand Eritrean refugees at Shimelba, a refugee camp located in the northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, by the borders to Eritrea.

The aid will directly go to the project UNHCR is executing for humanitarian assistance and protection for the Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia. Germany ambassador to Ethiopia, Dr.Claas Dieter Knoop said.

An international attention needs to be paid for the constant influx of new refugees from Eritrea, so as to timely meet prior needs of the refugees and to provide the logistical support requested for the operation to run swiftly. It said.

The ambassador expressed his hope that the donation his country is about to make will have a considerable role in alleviating the situation the refugees are in.

According to latest reports from the refugees and returnees affairs bureau of Tigray region, Shimelba camp, locally also known as ‘small Eritrea’ is hosting Eritrean refugees beyond its carrying capacity.

Recently the federal government of Ethiopia together with funds from UNHCR has launched the construction of three more refugee camps for Eritrean refugees in Tigray and Afar regions. Every month an average of 600 Eritreans cross to the borders of Ethiopia in protest to the harsh treatment they face at home.

In recent years, International human rights organizations have labeled the red-sea nation amongst the top human right violating countries worldwide.

The government of Germany on Monday pledged a total of 750,000 euro humanitarian aid for the thousands of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia.

According to a press released by Germany embassy in Addis, the pledge is in reaction to the united Nation higher Commissioner for refugees(UNHCR’s) appeal for more help to meet the increasing humanitarian aid needed for the non-stop influx of Eritrean refugees to Ethiopia.

Eritrea’s foe, Ethiopia, currently hosts some 25 thousand Eritrean refugees at Shimelba, a refugee camp located in the northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, by the borders to Eritrea.

The aid will directly go to the project UNHCR is executing for humanitarian assistance and protection for the Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia. Germany ambassador to Ethiopia, Dr.Claas Dieter Knoop said.

An international attention needs to be paid for the constant influx of new refugees from Eritrea, so as to timely meet prior needs of the refugees and to provide the logistical support requested for the operation to run swiftly. It said.

The ambassador expressed his hope that the donation his country is about to make will have a considerable role in alleviating the situation the refugees are in.

According to latest reports from the refugees and returnees affairs bureau of Tigray region, Shimelba camp, locally also known as ‘small Eritrea’ is hosting Eritrean refugees beyond its carrying capacity.

Recently the federal government of Ethiopia together with funds from UNHCR has launched the construction of three more refugee camps for Eritrean refugees in Tigray and Afar regions. Every month an average of 600 Eritreans cross to the borders of Ethiopia in protest to the harsh treatment they face at home.

In recent years, International human rights organizations have labeled the red-sea nation amongst the top human right violating countries worldwide.